OTTAWA -- Gatineau police have handed out 147 tickets to people caught violating Quebec's overnight curfew since the new rules came into effect last month.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced Tuesday that the 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will remain in effect for Gatineau and the Outaouais even as the province relaxes some of the restrictions on Feb. 8.
On Jan. 9, Quebec imposed a four-week curfew across Quebec in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19. The fine for violating the overnight curfew is $1,000 to $6,000.
In a statement to CTVNewsOttawa.ca, Gatineau police say officers have issued 147 statements of offence for curfew violations since Jan. 9.
Officers issued 37 tickets for violating the COVID-19 curfew during the first weekend of the new rules on Jan. 9 and 10.
Exemptions to the curfew are in place for people who have to travel to and from work, or who need to seek medical attention or get medical supplies. Dog walking within one kilometre of someone's home is also permitted after 8 p.m.
On Jan. 25, an Ottawa teen was fined $561 for breaking Quebec's curfew while driving through Gatineau.
Lukas Laverty told CTV News Ottawa he was driving home from a day of ice fishing with his father in Aylmer when he was stopped at 8:12 p.m. just one light before the Ontario-Quebec boundary.
Laverty was fined $561 because he is considered a minor.
